The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus and a related method, and in particular to an airbag apparatus for a vehicle whose development characteristic has been controlled and its related method.
In recent years, it has been proposed to provide an airbag apparatus for protecting the head of a vehicle occupant at a time of a side collision or a lateral overturning at an upper portion within a vehicle compartment of an automobile.
Such an airbag apparatus is arranged such that the entire of an airbag is folded in a roll shape or a bellows shape and accommodated in a state that an upper end portion of the air bag has been fixed to a side roof rail at an upper portion of a vehicle body and a portion of the airbag which is positioned on the side of a vehicle compartment is covered with a head lining which is an interior member of the automobile. Then, in a case of a side collision or a lateral overturning of the vehicle, the air bag is inflated by gas from an inflator and it is developed in a curtain shape downward while pushing and opening a lower end portion of the head lining inward of the vehicle compartment, thereby protecting the head of a vehicle occupant.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3329277 discloses an airbag apparatus having a structure where a turned-back portion of an airbag is provided between a vehicle body and a folded portion of the airbag, so that the folded portion itself is pressed toward the head lining by first inflating the turned-back portion and the air bag is developed inward of the vehicle compartment, while the head lining is pushed and opened by the folded portion itself.